SYDNEY PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY. - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) - 29 Apr 1858 (original) (raw)

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Thu 29 Apr 1858 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)
Page 4 - SYDNEY PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

SYDNEY PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

THE Fourth Annual Meeting of this Society was held

at the Practice Room, Jamison-street, on Monday

evening last, the Hon. J. H. Plunkett, Esq., the

President, in the chair ; nearly all the working members

of the Society were at their posts, but there was

a paucity of the members generally, unfortunately, a

rather fashionable occurrence in most societies, however

laudable the objects. The ordinary preliminaries

being gone through, the Secretary read the'"report, of

which the folio wing'is a copy:- . , ' ' , l , >.

FOURTBfÂîfînrAr__rOBT_P"THB SYDNEY PHILHAR-

Toen Committee have much satisfaction in bringing np the

fourth annual report of the Society,-a«it indicates s decided pro-

gressive improvement 'u the affairs of the Society.

The number of members Is 117, and of subscribers S44, from

whonrhas been received the sum of £457 6s. Cdfj being an increase

over last year of twenty-four members, and sixty-one subscribers,

and £106 cash receipts from this source.

The prescribed number of concerts has been duly given, at

which mudlo of a high standard hat beca produced, audits execu-

tion has been such, as to justifr the belief that with steady atten-

tion and regular practice, the orchestra of the Society will er*

long be oblo to bear comparison with thoa* of similar Societies in

other parts of the world. I Tbo performances have been rendered

more effective, and the practices more satisfactory and improving,

by tho completion of the part* in the «core through the addition of

members or the military bands to supply instruments whioh are

not studied by amateurs, or on which there are not yet amateur

performers enough in the orchestra : and your Committee have to

.peak in terms of high commendation of the zeal and attention

shewn by the members of the bands who were kindly allowed to

place their available services at the disposal of the Society.'' This

arrangement ii of course attended with expense, but it la on*

which the committee consider it highly expédient to continue for

the prevent As the orchestra of too Society increases in number

and vadcty of instruments, tho requisite amount of extraneous

assistance will of oourso be progressively reduced.

The Committee aro under great obligation to Madame Anna.

Bishop, for tho valuable assistance rendered by her to the Society,

which has been already acknowledged by an address presented to

her on her departure for South America.

Tour Committee are grcat.y indsbted to Herr Minka Hanoi,

for the kind manner in which he has on several occasions, during

his sojourn here, given the assistance of his distinguished talents

to forward the interests of the Society. -

Your Committee beg to thank the undermentioned professional

ladies and gentlemen, resident in these colonie«, for too valuable

assistance they have so kindly rendered to the Society during th*

past year -Mesdames Cailly, S. Flower, andCnrsndini;_Me«eieurs

Boulanger, Cavalini, Lavenu, F. Howson, Stanley, and Kohler.

Tour Committee most gladly tender their acknowledgments to

Madame Jaffa, and to Miss Aldis, for their ready acquiescence in

the desire of the Society to avail of their services, regretting that

their excellent c vamp les have not, as yet, been more generally

To the gentlemen amateurs in the vocal part of the performances

who have collectively assisted so materially at the concerts, the

Society must always remain under great obligation.

Respecting vocal music, your Committee regret that their hopes

expressed last year have not been realised. It is behoved that the

several local societies in tbi« city fully occupy the time of amateurs.

They arc not, however, without hope that an arrangement may be

mado with the Choral Society, which will prodnco a combination

of the members of tho two Societies, for the performance of orato-

rios or other concerted pieces. i

Tour Committee now lay beforo tho Society a balance sheet for

tho past year, and in explanation of some of the items, beg to

state that it was deemed necessary to purohase asentiré new stock

of stands which was tendered for and accepted at a very reasonable

rate, and executed to the complete satisfaction of the Committee,

also, a book-case for the arrangement and safo custody of the

music, a largo stock of which now belongs to the Society, arranged

and indexed by tho Secretary. The Committee have also paid for

tho second piano, authorised to be purchased for the. vocal

practices, which, together with a large balance of unpaid accounts

of the year before last, was left to be defrayed oat of this years'

income, involving a total, for the articles abovenamed, of £75, ex-

clusive of the largo balance referred to. As, however, there ia

now no use for this second piano, it baa been offered for sale, and

the amount to be realized will return to the funds of the Society,

at much less loss, it is believed, than the amonnt which wonia

have been paid for th* hire of an instrument.

It will bo seen on comparison of this and the last balan*« sheet

that this presenta a favourable contrast, as it exhibits a considera-

ble increase in the receipts, and a large addition to ita -a*U in

Your Committee regret the contemplated teairnation of the

Honorary Treasurer, Mr. Aldis, after a year of tue most active

and valuable exertions on behalf of the Society. The Committee

fool it their duty tötender the thanks of the Society moat cor-

dially to that gentleman, for his arduous and disinterested efforts

to forward the interest* of the Society.

The union of the offices of conductor and rccretary, which from

motives of economy, your Committee were obliged temporarily to

sanction-has been attended with much practical inconvenience.

Tour Committee, therefore, propose as soon as the state of the

funds will allow, to appoint a secretary with a salary proportioned

to the time which the discharge of his duties ought to occupy. The

attention of Mr. Deane will then be exclusively given to the

proper duties of his position aa conductor. For toe manner in

which those duties have been discharged by him, and for bia

zealous exertions in the service of the Society, the warm thanks

Your Committee And the greatest difficulty presented to them in

the want of a commodious room, in which to give their concerta.

The Australian Library has been spoken of, and with much confi-

dence on account of the available ance, both for concert», and for

practico meetings, and your Committee have been in communica-

tion with the Library Committee on the subject; the building,

however, is in auch an unfinished state that no arrangement for

the occupation of it for the purposes of. this Society eaa be entered

Into for some time. The Prince of Wales Theatre has been tretj»eú

for, but the proposed charge was deemed too high, and from the

peouiiar circumstances of the ownership of that building, no per-

manent agreement can be entered into. Early in the year a sub-

committee was appointed to devise on the best means for providing

a hall. They submitted a report, detailing a scheme for ita erection

partly contingent on a grant of Tumi from the Government. This

they could not get, tho land having been promised to the Corpo-

ration, and no other land waa available. On application to the

Mayor, respecting a portion of this ground required for the purpo-

ses of the Society, his »Worship reported that »lansaad estimates

were In preparation for a Town Hall, which, .when completed,

would present a noble room for the use of onr or any other Society.

Your Committee did not, after this, deem it advisable to proceed

further with the contemplated scheme for a Hosie Hall. Lastly,

(BO other building offering space enough to bold one-half of the

number of persons admitted to > the concerts) arrangements were

made to give one concert at the Exchange Hall, the nae of which

waa kindly granted, free of charge by the Committee, to teat the

experiment as to apace and sound. The result preved that the

hall is not large enough, bnt with throwing onen and lighting

the reading room, sufflolent space can be provided for the Society,

and your Committee have offered to engage the hall for the next

aeries of concerta, at a charge often pounds per night, the »om

pany providing seat«, stage, gas, the use of the reading room, and

a part of the lobby at the weat end of the building. Thia matter

will of course form one of the moat Important duties of the Com-

mittee to be elected to-night, and will doubtless receive their

Amended rule« will be submitted, which have received the

earnest consideration of the Committee. The attention of mem-

bers is especially called to these rules, which are now founded on

the experience of the past four yean, and which the Committee

submit to the meeting for confirmation, t i

The election of officers for the year was the next

business, and the following waa the result :-Patron,

his Excellency the Governor-General ; patroness,

Lady Denison ; president, Hon. J. H. Plunkett; vice

president, Hon. £. Deas Thomson, CB ; honorary

treasurer, Mr. W. H. Aldis ; secretary pro tem., Mr.

Deane ; conductor, Mr. John, Deane ; and the follow-

ing gentlemen, the committee of management, Hon.

F. L. S. Merewether, Esq.! Mr. E, Deane; Mr.

Richardson; Mr. G. R. Hirst; Mr. W.H.Aldis;

Mr. Boesen; Mr. C, Younger; Mr. Macdonell; Mr.

Faucett; Mr. J. G. Waller; and Mr. G. Rowley.

The rules of the Society ware then gone

over and several alterations made. These, when

printerl, will be distributed to the members and sub-

scribers of the Society. We regret to find that the

Sooiety still requires more practising members to form

an efficient orchestra, and to economise the funds.

That the vocal department is still only discussed-if

we except the gentlemen of the German dab

although it is patent that there is an immense amount

of amateur vocal talent in this city. In conclusion, we

have only to congratulate the Society on ita permanent

establishment amongst us, and hope that next year's

report will be still more progressive than the